Designing and Implementing K-12 Teacher Professional Development

• Michelle Kortenaar, Sciencenter

• Joyce Allen, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Becky Wolfe, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

• Bob Decker, Mohawk Valley Community College

• Mary Breen, Fernbank Science Center

• Carolyn Nichol, Rice University

• Matt Johnson, Penn State University

• Lynne Hehr, University of Arkansas

• Tanya Faltens, nanoHub

Teacher Professional Development at Georgia Tech

Funded by the Teacher Quality State Grant

Teacher Recruitment Six Schools committed to sending a team of teachers-Science, Math, ELA

Requirements of Teams• Read two books before workshop.• Attend a 4 day workshop at GaTech• Plan and carry out a design

challenge based on students’ learning of NSE.

• Return for Follow-up with students to share design challenge results.

Summer 2014 and Fall 2014 Workshop:Nanoscale Science and Engineering as an Avenue to STEM in Elementary and Middle Schools

Selection of Activities

Where NSE Fits into Curriculum

Available Resources

• www.nnin.org

http://www.nnin.org/sites/default/files/files/Joyce_Resource%20List.pdf

Results

Follow-up Meeting December 2014

External Evaluation• http://www.ien.gatech.edu/

georgia-tech-nnin-education-and-outreach

What does PD “look like” at TCM?

One Day Workshops:• Related Gallery Investigation

• Guest Speaker

• Nano specific and nano “infused”

Summer Institutes:

• 3-5 days

• Includes guest speakers on field trips

• Long term projects

Curriculum and Resources

“You can’t eat just one”• Use a primary curriculum book

• Supplementary resources - provided via handouts or dropbox

• Specifically looking for connections to standards

Nano Specific:

• Allign NISEnet materials with standards; added supports for notebooks

• NSTA Nano book

Nano and the Classroom

Teachers as learners• Teacher pre-survey – low familiarity with nano

• Workshop was content heavy; used NISE materials for this section

• Foundation was NISEnet “Big Ideas”

Teachers as educators

• Modeled inquiry teaching practices

• Used tools, materials, etc. that would be suitable for a middle school classroom

• Content tied to chemistry standards (Indiana)

Sneaking in Nano

What is Nano?• In 2012, teachers unfamiliar

with nano; reluctant to sign up for workshop

Sneaking in Nano:

• Success with including nano in other topics

• Workshops included: geckos, biotechnology, chemistry, natural history, mathematics

Mohawk Valley Community College

JUNE 2015NETWORK-WIDE MEETING

NISENET.ORG

Teachers Workshop - Scheduling

Identifying Time Constraints – Past Experiences• 5 Day Sessions were not well-subscribed – Summer

• 2 Day Fri PM/Sat all Day were better – One afternoon release

• Single Day/4 hour sessions were popular – 4 PM – 8 PM with dinner and presentation plus one hands-on activity

Issues Most Frequently Encountered:

• Release Time/Substitutes (for some school districts)

• Length of Program .vs. ability to integrate long activities

• Places to include content in defined courses

Half-Day Saturday Session (March)

3 teacher groups were included in this workshop. The Nano 101 presentation and “Nanotechnology – What’s the Big Deal?” video was provided for all participants. Following this, groups broke up into 3 concurrent sessions. Two activities were presented for each• K-5 : Oobleck (NanoDays) and Electroplating (various sources)

• 6-9 : Ferrofluids (NNIN) and Nanotechnology Consumer Products (NACK Center and MRSEC)

• HS : Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (MRSEC) and LCD Thermometer (NNIN)

Participants included two K-5 teachers, 5 MS teachers, 6 HS teachers

• MVCC Facilitators included three faculty members and three student assistants (Science/Engineering Majors)

Workshop Logistics

Teachers were provided with• Lesson Plans for activities

(NiseNet), standards, and links for further study

• Major Materials for use in classroom upon return

• Technical Support from Facilitators

Possible uses:

• One to two day activities

• Supplemental for AP Class use following May Exams

Results and Feedback

Additional Support/Outcomes:• Pre/Post surveys indicated significant improvement in

understanding topics in nanotechnology

• Instructors/Facilitators were invited to school districts for visits and further activities

• Participants indicated interest in further activities

• NiseNet funding for materials and facilitators through the Mini-Grant made this activity possible!

• Contact info: rdecker@MVCC.edu

THANK YOU!!!

Use teachers’ time wisely• Provide enough materials for

them to do the lesson in stations or groups (find out your state’s maximum class size, provide materials for that many students).

• Include time in the workshop to prepare materials.

• Think of your workshop like a Nisenet NanoDays activity box. When you open it up, EVERYTHING is there!

Text:

• Text

For a teacher time is...

If you can’t give a teacher money, then give them time. Find a way to provide money for substitute teachers.

$$money$$

Customize your workshop

Provide a survey in advance to find out areas of strengths and

weaknesses

Rice University Office of STEM Engagement

JUNE 2015NETWORK-WIDE MEETING

NISENET.ORG

Rice University Office of STEM Engagement, Carolyn Nichol

Agenda for typical PD session• One week in the summer

• Followed by 2 semesters during academic year (total 110-160 hours)

Lessons:

• Example for high school biology:

Potential Effects of Nano-silver on a Bacteria Population

Teacher recruitment

Districts served:• Over 26 districts

• Houston ISD

• Partnerships• Schools contribute

• Space• Funding• Substitutes

How do we fund the programs?

Federal Grants:• NSF REU site in nanotech

• NSF RET site in nanotech

• NISE mini-grant

Corporate Foundations:

• ConocoPhillips

• Schlumberger

• Toshiba

School District Contracts:

• HISD, YWCPN

What are the Barriers to Implementation?

• Alignment with the standards

• Teachers’ content knowledge

• Administrators’ buy in

• Proof

Use nanoscience as an example in standards aligned lessons

Provide intensive PD

Have conversations, meet their needs

Assessment, Data on student outcomes

More info: RSTEM.RICE.EDU

Nanodays Penn State

NanoDays at the Discovery Space of Central PA – 3/28/15• Hands-on activities for children and

adults of all ages

NanoDays at the Millennium Science Café – 4/21/15

• Professional Meeting promoting education and outreach experiences for researchers

NanoDays Nanotechnology Teacher workshop -4/28/15

• Resources, research and careers for grade 6-12 STEM teachers

Teacher PD Strategy

Two hour lesson

• Based on authentic PSU research

• Uses the practices of researchers to learn content (as per NGSS)

• Uses NISENet kit(s) as a phenomenon or as part of the learning

Examples:

• How nanotechnology helped catch the emerald ash borer

• Lotus leaf/ superhydrophobicity

• Gecko feet

Collaborations

Penn State MRSEC

Center for Science and the Schools

Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization

Discovery Space Center Children’s Museum

Teaching Model AFM – The Physics Teacher (in press)

XY Translator

Elec

tron

ics

Laser Diode

Mirror

Photodiode &Graded Filter

Agendas

• One and one half public event• Three hour public event• Three hour teacher workshop• Six hour teacher workshop

JUNE 2015NETWORK-WIDE MEETING

NISENET.ORG

JUNE 2015NETWORK-WIDE MEETING

NISENET.ORG

• Nano 101, How Small Is Nano videos

• I Spy Nano• Nano Future Tellers• Exploring Forces

• Static Electricity• Exploring Materials

• Ferrofluid • Graphene• Memory Metal• Stained Glass Windows

• Exploring Products• Nano Fabric• Nano Sand• Sunblock

Materials

• Exploring Properties• Invisibility• Surface Area• UV Bracelets

• Exploring Size• Measure Yourself• Memory Game• Powers of 10 Game• Scented Balloons

• Exploring Tools• 3D Imaging• Dress like a Nanoscientist• Mitten Challenge • Transmission Electron Microscopes

nanoHUB Education

Connecting Engineering with People and Communities

K12 Engineering Research Institute

First Year

Engineering

Nano Model Eliciting Ac-tivities

8-Week Nano Design Project

Problem Solving, Mathematical Modeling, Design, Teaming, and Computation Tools

nanohub.org/groups/uwww.nanohub.org

Over 4000 Resources

nanoHUB Education Page

nanohub.org/education

Nano Education Research

https://nanohub.org/groups/edresearchContact Krishna Madhavan cm@purdue.edu

nanoHUB Learning Communities

nanohub.org/education

Collections allow nanoHUB users to collect, assemble, rearrange and share

any content

Designing and Implementing K-12 Teacher Professional Development

• Michelle Kortenaar, mkortenaar@sciencenter.org

• Joyce Allen, joyce.allen@ien.gatech.edu

• Becky Wolfe, BeckyW@childrensmuseum.org

• Bob Decker, Robert.Decker@mvcc.edu

• Mary Breen, mary_breen@dekalbschoolsga.org

• Carolyn Nichol, cnichol@rice.edu

• Matt Johnson, mmj125@psu.edu

• Lynne Hehr, lhehr@uark.edu

• Tanya Faltens, tfaltens@purdue.edu